HARASHIMA vs. Yuki Ueno (c) (DDT Judgement 2024 - 5 Hour Special in Korakuen)

Watch and learn.

Whenever I see someone like HARASHIMA taking someone like Yuki Ueno to a whole other level in a pro wrestling ring I usually smile because there's hope for wrestling as a sport and as a struggle. In fact, wrestling has been falling apart in that aspect at least in the West because many people just reject the idea of in-ring storytelling or are not trained well to see it with their own eyes and without some guy screaming shit on a microphone.

This match is in essence the perfect way to prove pro wrestling is more than just wrestling, and the perfect example of a wrestler who, in an attempt to build his opponent as a credible threat, shines in a performance of his own. Guys, HARASHIMA is like 50 years of age, he shouldn't be wrestling at this level and he shouldn't be a guy who could have one KO-D title reign right now and no one will complain. Ueno on the other hand is the New Ace in DDT, and he has grown as a wrestler in comparison to where he was standing in 2020 and 2021, where his matches (while good) didn't seem to hit me like his recent work does.

I think that's because Ueno has comprehended the absolute truth behind pro wrestling and the secret for it to be good: It needs to be a struggle. You need to suffer because suffering is the only universal thing any person can understand. After all, it hits us the same, and while Ueno suffers like hell in this contest, I can't help but focus on HARASHIMA's subtle but excellent character work. He's now the veteran making sure the young guys have what it takes to carry with the company, he's no longer DDT's Ace like he was before and as he reaches 50 years of age, there's an eternal struggle with the fact the only rival he can't beat is time itself.

That written fate he's doomed to live is the thing that resonates in his body and just makes him continue wrestling at this pace, even if his body is hurt and he can't do the same things he was able to do years ago. HARASHIMA's current work can be compared with the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi's 2018, where he understood the assignment and saw the potential hidden in one last big run as the Ace of the Universe. HARASHIMA is not having a big run, but nonetheless, people support him in this match because he's that damn good and because that's the dynamic that follows. You can't hate a good Old Ace vs New Ace match.

Don't get me wrong, Ueno is a solid contender for Wrestler of the Year in my books, but he's not the protagonist in this match, and I will dare to say he's the antagonist because there's something cocky behind his attitude that I can't seem to get out of my head. I don't know if it's the shitty smile, or the idea Ueno does not take this match seriously for the first 10 minutes, but I can't seem to believe Ueno is essentially the hero in this one, and it's harder to even consider that option when the literal HERO of DDT is standing across him in the ring.

I don't know, maybe I'm a sucker for true and honest babyfaces. Maybe I want someone to make me hope for a better future. Maybe I relate to HARASHIMA's struggle in this match because I'm also attached to my past and parts of me yearn to go back, but time will not allow me to do so, therefore, I have to live in the present and face the wrath of the almighty Father Time, who is always reminding me I'm growing and things are getting hard by the hour.

I'm still an 18-year-old who's learning to live and love again, and I'm not the most fitting person to understand or sympathize with HARASHIMA's struggle as a 50-year-old veteran who's just fighting with his heart and soul for one last big run where people realize he's still their Ace, but god damn if there isn't something so contagious about his resilience that inspires me and makes me want to be like him. A hero for his people. An inspiration for his peers.

Needless to say, this is my Match of the Year, and I don't think any match will hit me as this one because of everything that happens in between. Just last week I saw a match that people considered the best match of the year and I gave my honest opinion on it and how it was not better than this one. I decided to rewatch this one to see if I was just biased with my opinion: But I was right. The reason behind its superiority is the basic premise of selling.

Wrestling matches just work better when you give a fuck about the fundamentals and continuing a narrative in the ring.

HARASHIMA's selling in this match is top-tier, and I think I've been saying that for the past 5 years, but I can't talk about this match without praising Ueno's explosiveness and delivery in some of his moves and offense. There's this joke about him being an Ibushi clone, but that's not right because he's plainly better. He was not that good years ago, but he has improved more than any other young wrestler who's aiming to be an Ace in a Japanese company. I will not say I'm talking about Kaito Kiyomiya.

I don't usually pray for people to watch a match, but please, go out of your way to see this one. I don't know how many times I need to repeat DDT is the best wrestling company in the world today but if I have to do it 100 times for you to watch this one and engage in the same spectacle as I did, I will get on my hands and knees for you to live this experience and see how a true Match of the Year looks like.

Is it better than Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay?

Absolutely, and as I said, it's not better because it has more moves and sick spots. It's good because it has selling and two wrestlers who are cooperative with the other and are not trying to get their shit in for the sake of it. Neither Ueno nor HARASHIMA is an Ospreay-type wrestler who just wants to get over and pop the crowd in the emptiest way possible, but two athletes who understand the importance of telling a story in the ring and the obligation wrestlers have to look vulnerable when needed. That makes the match so good. It's honest, and that's something needed.

Demus vs. Mad Dog Connelly (ACTION DEAN~!!!)

Sicko shit.

I'll say what I said when I finished watching this match for the first time: It speaks volumes on the level of so-called deathmatch wrestling in the West that a match that lasts 10 minutes feels more violent than whatever amount of light tubes GCW has in Brett Lauderdale's house. And even if this match is not billed as a deathmatch, one can say it is because it feels gritty, pure and goddamn amazing. The modern perception of a "death match" shouldn't be GCW-focused, but rather a study on how to make violence feel real. And the answer is not hard: Just let wrestlers kill each other, and stop worrying about planned spots.

Wrestling is a sport that has so many styles and variations that can work perfectly or feel like torture. Therefore, sometimes I need something that feels illegal, a real fight between two men who just want to kill each other. Something that can make me feel the same thing that I felt when I watched the classic CZW/BJW tag match with half of the ring set on fire because it looked badass. There's something so cool about the atmosphere of this match too because of course, this is not your common indie crowd, this is the mix of the most schizophrenic personalities in the wrestling fandom, who don't care about the well-being of the wrestlers neither if they do a spot correctly (in fact, they absolutely despise the idea of "correct" spots and "correct" wrestling, whose matches tend to fall into an empty shell of nothing)

What you see is what you get: A dog collar match that doesn't need objects more than a chain, a trashcan, and some chairs that were thrown on the floor. And with something as simple as that Demus and Mad Dog Connelly go to WAR and make you feel like you're watching one in real time. You certainly fear for the two men's lives but at one point the adrenaline is too much to handle and you just say "fuck it" and pray to god and whoever rules this world Demus just kills Mad Dog or vice-versa because your placebo is in this match and you realize no other match neither from Wrestlemania Weekend and I dare say this year will make you feel the same as this one. You just scream, bark, and live in the moment because pro wrestling is about emotions, and in a scene where soulless wrestling continues to grow, you need something as violent and raw as this. Because this is what wrestling needs to be sometimes.

Naomichi Marufuji vs. Will Ospreay (NOAH Naomichi Marufuji 25th Anniversary)

Por una noche, Will Ospreay fue el mejor luchador del mundo.

No puedo creer que Will Ospreay no pueda ser el mejor luchador del mundo viendo este combate. Es lo mas parecido a una anomalia que pude haber visto, y el mejor combate de su carrera por diferencia en estos ultimos años. Hay un condimento especial en esta lucha que no se presenta en ninguno de sus otros combates durante ese año, y es la malicia con la que Ospreay hace sus movimientos y construye su ofensiva. Es increible tener que recurrir a una lucha en contra de su idolo para que este entienda lo importante que es manejar el ritmo de una lucha y que no se sienta una masa de movimientos hechos por hacer, si no una batalla de orgullos que realmente se siente como un Dream Match.

Parece algo simple si lo escribo, pero con el esfuerzo colosal que hacen todos los oponentes de Ospreay para que este entienda lo importante que es añadirle un poco de salsa a todo lo que hace, este combate es tan natural e histerico como el hombre al cual se enfrenta, y creo que la razon de que este combate sea como es radica en Naomichi Marufuji. No porque Marufuji lo carree como pasa con su lucha con Danielson, si no por el hecho de que el 70% de la ofensiva de Ospreay que no usa en este combate es robada directamente de Marufuji, y al ver que no puede hacerla, Ospreay busca otras maneras de que sus ataques conecten, o simplemente se enfoca en ir cabeza a cabeza con un tipo que tiene los chops mas fuertes en la actualidad.

Entonces, la lucha evita recurrir a todo lo que hace a una lucha de Ospreay mala, y por eso mismo es buenisima. Diria que la razon de que sea tan infravalorada es porque no comparte la formula a la cual Ospreay nos tiene acostumbrados y de la cual el es precursor. La formula que lastimosamente se esta contagiando en la lucha libre, y que cumplira un ciclo de ser malentendida, repetida hasta el hartazgo por gente que nunca se tomo el tiempo de analizarla meticulosamente y comprender que la hacia tan especial. Y ya de por si la formula de Ospreay es todo lo que esta mal con esta percepcion moderna de lo que son los "real graps" al ser un festival de bumps sin sustancia alguna.

Pero si alguien sabe de que su formula sea copiada y malentendida por absolutamente todo dios, es el mismo Marufuji. Despues de todo, la lucha libre moderna esta construida en su espalda, y todo lo que intente hacer Ospreay tendra una respuesta de igual valor y contundencia porque el primero en este rodeo fue Marufuji. Por eso mismo, la lucha se va a otro lado, y se vuelve un display de agresividad nunca antes visto en Ospreay. Donde el que quiere ganar es el, y no su oponente que parece que tiene que jugar con sus reglas. Por eso mismo, los strikes de Ospreay tienen otro aire y sus movimientos realmente tienen esa chispa que tanto buscaba yo en sus combates. Y una parte muy importante de todo este combate tambien radica en el hecho de que Ospreay es vulnerable.

"El problema no es que Ospreay no sepa vender, si no que es alergico a verse genuinamente vulnerable. Eso hace que sea imposible conectar con cualquier cosa que haga, porque no voy a sentir nada por tus momentos epicos si no hiciste nada para ganartelos. -Sarah Kurchak.

Mi mayor problema con la estructura de una lucha de Ospreay es que en dicha estructura siempre se subraya la necesidad de que este se vea como un superheroe invencible aun si el contexto no lo amerita. Porque la contradiccion mas grande de Ospreay es llamarse a si mismo el GOAT y pronunciarse como un heroe. A veces, es necesario que un luchador entienda lo importante de la vulnerabilidad, para asi poder tener una narrativa consistente que seguir y que la lucha tenga un fluyo donde todo, valga la redundancia, puede fluir. Y que la idea de esta lucha sea que Ospreay no puede superar a Marufuji me parece increible, porque aun con lo simplista que puede parecer me demuestra que Ospreay puede manejar una narrativa a la perfeccion y demostrarla a traves de la accion en el ring.

El problema es que para que se lo pueda considerar el mejor luchador del mundo tiene que seguir luchando de la manera que lo hizo aqui. Necesito la urgencia, la agresividad, la necesidad de ganar, y por supuesto, el impacto que tienen sus movimientos una vez que los puede ejecutar y una vez que puede enfrentar su desafio personal en este combate. Y de hecho, las mejores luchas de Ospreay son aquellas donde enfrenta dichos desafios o las consecuencias de sus acciones.

¿Quien diria que para ser el mejor luchador del mundo necesitas tener un conflicto?

Este combate lo buscas en Cagematch y tiene un 8, porque es una prueba de que Ospreay puede escapar de la jaula que es su formula y ser el mejor luchador del mundo por una sola noche si se lo propone. El problema es que tiene que serlo todo el tiempo si realmente quiere apodarse "Billy GOAT", y no tiene que caer en que cada lucha sea repetitiva, porque el factor que lo hace impresionante ahora sera lo que en un futuro hara que la gente se canse de el. Todos los luchadores lograron entender esto y evolucionar, porque si tus grandes luchas son olvidadas por las demas personas despues de meses, que tan grandes son? Me habre olvidado de practicamente la mitad de luchas de Ospreay en estos ultimos años, pero esta se quedo en mi cabeza como un recuerdo permanente de que por una noche, Will Ospreay fue el mejor luchador del mundo.

Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay (AEW Dynasty 2024)

Bryan Danielson = GOAT

Es increible pensar en el año de Bryan Danielson como para que una lucha con Will Ospreay sea la menos increible de todas las que viene teniendo. Tal calidad de luchador no se encuentra del todo, y desde hace tiempo la verdad indiscutible acerca de Danielson es que el es el mejor luchador de la historia. Su ultima run en AEW esta siendo historica en todos los sentidos, y me atreveria a decir que mas grande que su run en WWE por lo que significa para el como luchador. Es la "swan song" del mejor luchador que vio nacer este deporte y que dia a dia se supera aun mas.

No voy a mentirles, cuando vi que habian anunciado esta lucha tuve un poco de hype por ella. Habia algo tan atrapante alrededor de esta premisa con un luchador que me hace desconectar de lo verosimil del pro wrestling como Ospreay, y un luchador que me hace creer en dicho verosimil como Danielson. Ese choque de personalidades parecia plantear un desafio que yo iba a enfrentar con Bryan, y es el hecho de que quizas estaba sobre la mesa la posibilidad de que tenga una mala lucha. Y si yo te digo que su mala lucha puede suceder con Ospreay vas a reaccionar de una manera especifica porque el consenso general dicta que Ospreay es el mejor luchador del mundo.

Yo sinceramente no lo veo.

No veo que Ospreay pueda ser el GOAT, ni mucho menos. Esto no es solo porque lo dice e implica sin tener en cuenta sus falencias mas graves que no ha sabido desarrollar ni cambiar durante estos ultimos 8 años donde lo conozco, si no por una razon mas sencilla: Ospreay se esta enfrentando al GOAT, y el desafio del GOAT es sacarle una buena lucha que escape de la percepcion que se tiene de "buena lucha" en la modernidad. Danielson en si es un luchador conocido por forzar un ritmo y una cadencia clara en un combate, donde la mayoria de luchas que tiene son clasicos instantaneos porque el mismo Danielson es el director de orquesta, por no decir de manera coloquial que carrea a sus rivales a la mejor lucha de sus vidas.

Esta lucha la veia sin mucho hype a diferencia de otras personas porque aun si el desafio de Danielson era enorme, la expectativa que se habia generado y el "buzz" que habia alrededor de este combate era aquel que habia en los Omega vs Okada despues de Wrestle Kingdom 11: O sea, un combate auto percibido como apoteosico del cual se esperaba un nivel exacto de calidad teniendo en cuenta los luchadores que estaban involucrados. Y justo como los Omega vs Okada despues de Wrestle Kingdom, esta lucha cayo en ese agujero donde si o si tiene que ser un MOTYC y no lo es porque tiene errores colosales. En si, este combate se caracteriza por la performance de Danielson que enaltece su lugar como el mejor de la historia, y la performance usualmente repetitiva y cansina de Ospreay la cual he criticado anteriormente y de la que sigo pensando lo mismo: Y en si, este combate es eso pero expuesto en frente de tus ojos. Danielson busca rellenar los agujeros que deja Ospreay a lo largo de este combate, porque por cada no sell que hace disfrazado de Fighting Spirit, Danielson se encarga de deletrearle la palabra urgencia.

Creo que esta lucha evidencia claramente que Ospreay es el hombre adecuado en el momento adecuado, porque en una industria que lentamente fue cambiando la manera de verse a si misma (transformandose en una epica con carencia de sentido en muchas ocasiones) Ospreay es el luchador perfecto para cargar con ese ethos y con la bandera de ese estilo. Lo siento, pero yo no puedo tomarme enserio un tipo que despues de un combate de 35 minutos donde le trabajan su brazo y literalmente lo fuerzan a vender a punta de patadas termina su combate levantando a su oponente y dandole un codazo como si nada en una secuencia con mucha epica pero poco si no nulo sentido. Lo entiendo, es el estilo que maneja Ospreay, pero se olvida de lo fundamental de la lucha libre que es el selling y el hecho de que cada movimiento tiene una consecuencia.

No soy capaz de procesar que Ospreay siga teniendo los mismos errores de hace 8 años, incluso cuando el mismo nos hace creer que su estilo cambio y que esta evolucionando. Es el mismo que era cuando Junior, con la diferencia de que este Ospreay encontro una formula para el exito que se basa en explotar todos los recursos por los que lo odie con toda mi alma en el año 2021 y 2022. O sea, los años donde empezo a surgir este mito de Ospreay como el mejor luchador del mundo y donde empece a darme cuenta que mis gustos para la lucha libre se diferenciaban de todo lo que la gente empezaba a ver con mas frecuencia. Y miren que me encantaria que Will pueda arreglar todo lo que describo en esta reseña porque realmente considero que puede ser un luchador increible una vez que pueda rellenar esos espacios. El en parte carga la bandera de este estilo que mencione, cuya caracteristica principal yace en la peculiaridad de que puede hacer todo. Pero asi como es una peculiaridad, peca de ser una maldicion.

Porque al hacer todo, el valor de ese todo es inherentemente nada.

Si Ospreay tuviera esta lucha con un luchador que no le pone un freno a todo lo que quiere hacer, el ritmo de este combate se iria a la basura y seria un copia y pega de Ospreay vs Oku 3. Por eso es que para mi el que mas destaca de este combate es Danielson, porque esta consciente del daño que le haria a este combate el hecho de seguir el ritmo de un tipo que no sabe lo que es la palabra ritmo sin terminar siendo una masa de sonidos sin sentido y tecnicismos aburridos que no mejoran la experiencia si no que la empeoran, porque cae en pequeñas fatalidades como confundir el no sell con el Fighting Spirit (algo que se le reclamaba a gente como Lio Rush).

En si, Ospreay es como Eminem.

Eminem era genial como Slim Shady, pero luego saco Rap God y la gente decia que era el mejor liricista, lo que transformo todas sus canciones en Em buscando maneras hilarantes y sin sentido de hacer rimas, donde la mayoria de ellas no rimaban. Ospreay es un luchador que como Junior era increible, pero cuando paso a ser Heavyweight, parece que se cego por la percepcion general del fanatico de wrestling de lo que supuestamente era una buena lucha, e hizo que su identidad sea darte las mejores luchas siempre y en todos lados, incluso cuando no es necesario hacerlo.

Tal insistencia hace que las luchas de Ospreay (no todas) sean insufribles, porque parece que lo tenes al lado tuyo diciendote que sus luchas te tienen que gustar por los spots que hace, y por repetir la misma secuencia de movimientos sin urgencia ni malicia desde hace 5 años, cuando los hizo contra Shingo en el BOSJ y como quedaron bonitos los hizo en cada una de sus luchas. Creo que por esas cosas no me gusta Ospreay, y no me gustan sus luchas. No es porque simplemente lo odio, si no que odio el hecho de que tiene tanto potencial y lo desperdicia volviendose una parodia de si mismo en vez de tener una evolucion con la cual yo pueda decir: "Si, este tipo es el mejor luchador del mundo." Y mas ahora que esta entrando en esta etapa donde tiene todo para ser el Ace de AEW. No quiero insultar a un Ace porque lucha mal, me sentiria sucia.

Pero en fin, la lucha es buena pero puede ser mejor, y no lo es por los errores de Ospreay que lastimosamente no se pueden tapar.

Me encanta que Danielson obliga a Ospreay a que un movimiento suyo tenga malicia detras, al ser el Tiger Driver 91 el movimiento que termina la lucha independientemente del Hidden Blade posterior. Ahora Ospreay retiro el movimiento por lesionar a Danielson en kayfabe y tiene una historia que seguir con un movimiento que habia prostituido recientemente y que ahora, de repente, tiene mas valor que cualquier cosa que haga en su carrera. Asi que ahora tambien puedo decir que el Tiger Driver 91 de Forbidden Door me parece la cosa mas estupida e innecesaria que vi en mi vida viendolo en retrospectiva. Kenneth deberia ser un poco mas egoista, porque ese momento comprometio la lucha entera y la hizo peor que la de Wrestle Kingdom, pero bueno, de eso hablare otro dia.

Espero de todo corazon que Ospreay no haga ese movimiento de nuevo hasta una lucha realmente importante, porque eso seria desperdiciar algo tan sencillo como la bendicion del luchador mas grande de todos los tiempos. Usalo en algo como All In, no menos.

Dick Togo, MEN's Teioh, Shiryu, Shoichi Funaki & TAKA Michinoku vs. Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delfin & Tiger Mask (Michinoku Pro Takewaki - These Days 1996)

DUDES ROCK.

If I had to say "What's the coolest wrestling match of all time?" I would personally pick this one. There are so many things in this 8-man spectacle that just OOZE charisma. It could be the fact that KAIENTAI DX is the most talented pack of dumbasses you could imagine, and they truly show it in this one, or it could be the fact that Gran Naniwa and Super Delfin truly live up to the test of such an important match for Michinoku Pro as a whole. We're talking about running Sumo Hall in just three years of existence. You can't compare what these guys did with anyone really, and the fact that not only this match but what happened in M-Pro during the 90s has influenced so many wrestlers really gives the match a unique feel.

This is the only time in history I dare say a match that is just 39 minutes of dudes flying all over the place rocks so much, but I think the main thing with this match and what many wrestlers fail to grasp is the fact this match feels like a rushed mess in a good sense. There's no time to wait for the wrestlers to get in their specific places, they just fly all over the ring and even outside of it without caring a single second about their own well-being. This is a fun match, but it does not sacrifice the idea of it being a serious competition between eight wrestlers who in this night have all the right to steal the show, and oh boy do they do that.

KAIENTAI DX works perfectly in this match and in true honesty, the aura of M-Pro just helps build this fantastic display of what made the company so great in the 90s and so influential. This is not M-Pro surpassing the expectations of people, but living to those expectations and embracing the fact no other Junior wrestlers can do what they do. They're not comparable, and the eight men involved in this make sure you know that. There's not a single second to rest and you can't close your eyes because you're gonna miss Taka Michinoku flying over a dude that was just standing there. The fact this match is so uniquely recorded makes it even more surprising and shocking because you just can't be sure about what the hell you're gonna see.

They just fly all over the place and do the sickest shit imaginable, and it works because it's not as flashy as you would think but rather what you would hope from a high-flyer, and that's crashing down on your opponent on any position because you just want him down for the 3-count. You don't want people to pop for your shit, you just want to do it and hope this match ends. And for the most part, these guys WANT to win this because they know the importance this match could have in their careers. It's a celebration of M-Pro as a whole, yes, but it's also the moment where history changes for whoever is the losing team because they will not be as remembered as the winners.

This match is a 39-minute car crash with some of the sickest dives you can imagine and some of the most talented wrestlers doing shit just because they can and because people will embrace it anyway, they came to this show to see this. To see what these days of following M-Pro with loyalty have come to. And they're rewarded with the best 8-man tag this sport has ever done, so I think it's a fair deal.

Chigusa Nagayo vs. Dump Matsumoto (AJW 28.08.1985)

La lucha libre tuvo su peak aca.

Hablar de lucha libre y de patriarcado al mismo tiempo es bastante facil. De hecho, gran parte de la industria abrazo esas ideas y justifico que la lucha libre femenina sea un descanso para ir al baño. Un espectaculo de medio tiempo donde poco importaba las habilidades de las luchadoras si no que tan bonitas eran y que tantos atributos tenian. La historia nos demostro que incontables luchadoras durante esa epoca eran maltratadas, y algunas incluso intentaron contarnos todo lo que vivieron pero fueron calladas.

La lucha libre occidental en gran parte es un cumulo de ideas patriarcales expuestas en television nacional donde hasta hace poco no se comprendia la existencia de lucha libre femenina seria. De hecho, ultimamente la lucha libre femenina en occidente esta volviendo a caer en estas situaciones, independientemente de que esta vez las luchadoras quieran tomar parte en esto y abrazarlo. Es ironico, y demasiado, que el pais en donde mas se haya respetado a las luchadoras sea Japon, considerando el historial que tiene y el hecho de que en muchas cuestiones es un pais atrasadisimo.

Hablar de Joshi Puroresu es como hablar de un producto atemporal y adelantadisimo a los tiempos que corren. No tenes que investigar mucho para darte cuenta que la lucha libre actual se maneja en base a todo lo que hizo una luchadora Joshi en los 80, de hecho me atreveria a decir que el deporte en si llego a su peak en esa epoca, no solamente por el hecho de que la audiencia de la lucha libre escapaba del fanatico promedio si no que la emocion desenfrenada de cada combate se sentia en el aire.

La AJW de los 80 es el mayor ejemplo de esto ultimo que estoy diciendo, porque en epocas donde se nos dice que "la lucha libre es cool de nuevo" es primordial reconocer de donde venimos y para donde vamos. La lucha libre nunca va a ser igual de cool que en este combate, porque la lucha libre misma decidio omitir la importancia de los ojos inocentes y puros de adolescentes en los 80 que gritaban el nombre de Chigusa Nagayo durante 25 minutos. Se enfocaron tanto en hablarle a la gente que ya los conocia y en tratar de traerlos de nuevo con recetas nostalgicas vacias que se olvidaron de lo que realmente importa en este deporte: Despertar emociones.

Cuando se dice que la lucha libre nunca va a volver a esta epoca se tiene que analizar bien desde donde se dice. Porque si analizamos el contexto en donde se hace esta lucha la frase no tiene sentido porque justamente es de otra epoca. La cuestion a la hora de analizar esa frase es tener en cuenta todo lo que se trae a colacion, y todo lo que significa construir una atmosfera en la que la gente pueda creer en lo que estan viendo. La lucha libre se enfoco tanto en el wrestling puro y perfecto que se olvido de que a veces las cosas mas honestas son las mas crudas e incomodas de ver.

A veces la gente no quiere ver una secuencia de movimientos perfectamente planeados si no a Chigusa tratando de sobrevivir a los ataques de Dump mientras esta encadenada. O al arbitro del combate distraido mientras que Lioness Asuka tira la toalla por su compañera y la misma Chigusa la tira y sigue luchando. A veces la lucha libre tiene que buscar a la persona que esta lejos de ella. Se habla mucho ultimamente de que el wrestling esta volviendo a ser mainstream, y viendo esta lucha me doy cuenta que esa afirmacion es simple negacion del hecho que la lucha libre es un nicho concentrado en la modernidad. Porque el mainstream se consigue abrazando el zeitgeist, y el zeitgeist esta cada vez mas lejos.

La lucha libre no es mainstream, y no lo va a ser hasta que se de cuenta de que es lo que hace que la gente quiera verla.

Uno de los aspectos que hizo que muchas personas vuelvan a la lucha libre es la sinceridad de las historias, pero en una epoca en la que eso es cada vez mas dificil de conseguir uno de los elementos claves para atrapar gente es cierto tipo de historias que escapan de lo que se entiende como una storyline clasica de lucha libre. Historias de romance, por ejemplo, o historias que se permiten abrazar tintes mas especificos que buscan darle a la gente lo que busca del pro-wrestling o de cualquier otro medio. Para entender porque la lucha libre no va a llegar nunca a estas instancias de nuevo es menester ver que tan lejos llega la narrativa de este combate y que es lo que logra despertar en la audiencia que busca.

Dean Rasmussen habia definido a este combate como "un combate con un trasfondo psicosexual" donde las chicas adolescentes que apoyaban a Chigusa habian visto lo horrendo y espeluznante de lo que es vivir en una sociedad patriarcal, donde sus heroinas mas grandes son aplastadas y llevadas a situaciones horribles por simple inoperancia masculina y complice. Eso ultimo lo añadi yo, pero cuando Dean habla de "trasfondo psicosexual" se refiere a como es que llega esta lucha a su publico: Porque esta lucha es impresionante por su publico y por el hecho de que en este combate se plantea la dicotomia entre el bien y el mal a la perfeccion, con una Chigusa que simplemente intenta aguantar los ataques de Dump pero se ve horrorizada ante el propio destino que le espera apenas Matsumoto empieza a apuñalarla en la cabeza con las tijeras.

Y es el hecho de que el contraste entre Dump y Chigusa sea tan alto lo que enaltece a este combate y lo que lo vuelve una experiencia unica en un medio que se jacta de decirte que tal lucha es eso cuando ni se acerca a lo que estas dos logran. Porque la armada de Dump esta conformada por adolescentes rebeldes con la cara pintada, que le demuestran al club de fans de Chigusa lo que es ir por el camino incorrecto de la inmoralidad, mientras que Chigusa es la representacion de todo lo que tienen que aspirar a ser o incluso lo que podrian ser ellas mismas contagiandose de su coraje.

Chigusa es hermosa, es pura, es una chica que motiva a sus fanaticas a ser igual de increibles que ella, y lo que hace a esta lucha tan especial es el hecho de que la conexion entre las Crush Gals y sus fanaticas era algo que iba mas alla de simple fanatismo. Podemos estar aca hablando horas y horas de la dinamica de las Crush Gals y lo importantes que son para entender el appeal de AJW en los 80 por como se complementan perfectamente con todo el roster de esa epoca, pero si vamos a lo concreto, este combate es la prueba irrefutable de que la lucha libre fue cool, y nunca va a volver a ser igual de cool porque nadie entendio a su publico como AJW.

Usualmente se menciona a la AJW de los 90 como la excelencia en lo que a lucha libre se refiere, pero creo que no hay como equiparar la emocion honesta y cruda de el post-match de este combate con ningun tipo de lucha 5 estrellas. Ningun combate ha logrado lo que este logro por el hecho de que esta es una demostracion pura de lo que pasa cuando entendes a tu publico y entendes lo que buscan. AJW abrazaba el zeitgeist de la sociedad japonesa en esa epoca y las Crush Gals eran heroinas legitimas, en frente de una amenaza tan grande como depravada. Por eso es que Chigusa siendo legitimamente humillada en frente de todas sus fanaticas con el corazon roto es una visual increible, porque por un momento la lucha libre fue mas real que nunca.

Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns (c) (WWE Wrestlemania 40 Night 2)

Why did he thank Bruce Prichard?

Alright, enough time passed. I can't see myself writing or covering anything related to the Federation for many reasons actually. It's a miracle I'm writing this because this match and this rivalry have caught my eye for a long time now, not because of the reasons all of you think. I've been really honest with how I see Cody Rhodes in all of this, and I've been vocal about him being the "third best Rhodes". I didn't want to write this in Wrestlemania season because I would have come out like the one that ruins the fun, or the party pooper. The thing about this match is that I didn't care about it because of the story or because of the "cinema", I cared about this match because of my friends.

Not so long ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine and we were talking about WWE and how is it that people continue watching it considering the allegations, the lawsuit, and every single thing hidden behind this megalomaniac monster that rules pro-wrestling in its entirety. This friend told me something that got in my head and it was that:

"The Vince McMahon allegations don't have anything to do with the #WeWantCody movement."

With that in mind, I decided to give this rivalry a second shot, mainly because I was taken aback by the fact that this could be a way to make people forget about the lawsuit, but I decided to shut up and tune in. Not because of these guys, but because of the fact that I was seeing a lot of people happy with wrestling, and I guess that made me realize that maybe this thing was better than I thought.

I found myself hyped for this, and to show it I decided to compare Cody to one of my favorite heroes in media, this being Simon the Digger. I thought their stories were similar, to say the least. That helped me understand Cody and his goal. What he stood for, and how many people were there to support him, even if they were not going to be credited for doing so (The Elite)

I saw the whole event with some friends I made a while ago and it was a great experience mainly because of that. I realized watching wrestling alone is something that changes your perception of it so much that it helps you understand why whatever you're watching could be good. And this match I think is the perfect example of what I'm saying because I don't believe I liked this match because of what it offered. I liked it because of what it made my friends feel. Pro wrestling is about emotions, right? You don't get that far without making people at least somewhat interested in your journey, and while Cody is not the perfect babyface by any means, there's a thing about his story that just resonates with people, despite him being the guy with the suit and the corporative smirk. This idea of Cody as the hero could be something that some believe, but it's also something that many reject for obvious reasons. I mean, when you paint a babyface you don't necessarily think of someone like Cody Rhodes. The Homelander-esque attire doesn't help either.

The thing about this match is that it's like a sickness. It's contagious, it's a match that can't be watched alone. It's a match that lives in the moment.

Does this mean this match is good?

Fuck no. I think this match is not meant to be good technically, is meant to be the most crisp example of an Attitude Era main event in modern wrestling, because the match itself is meant to be a clusterfuck. I don't want to fall into comparisons of such, but this match shares the same premise behind something like Rock vs. Mankind: You don't want to watch this match because of technical prowess, or psychology. You want to watch this match to see a guy win, by any means. Of course, you can't compare both main events because one of them has a babyface that looks and feels like a babyface, but you get the idea.

The thing about this match is that I'm conscious of the fact that if I see this alone I would not like it, because I don't feel the same kind of connection with all of these guys appearing as others do. Like, if I watched this match alone I would not pop for known cops supporter Mark Calaway. Come on guys.

But I'm here to talk about one of my main issues with this match and Wrestlemania as a whole. From the beginning to the end this match is a masturbatory tribute to Triple H. The match that is meant to "finish the story" turns into the most blatant and obvious Hunter Hearst Helmsley-esque spectacle because this motherfucker knows he can do whatever the hell he wants now and people would like it because he's the booker and he made The Bloodline or whatever the fuck.

This match could hit harder, it really could, but I think the premise falls apart. Cody finishes the story, and he gets to change the world by making The Elite the first faction to have won the IWGP Title, the AEW Title and the WWE Title. But this is a WWE main event. We're talking about a company that loves its revisionism as much as it loves its Saudi money. In no scenario could The Elite actually be credited for making Cody a star, in fact, people now believe Cody was the star of The Elite when is not hard to go back to 2018 and compare the pops between Cody and Kenny Omega in the G1 Special.

The thing I hate about this match is how it wants to rewrite history and paint Cody as THE babyface, ignoring the real story behind it all. Because when I said The Elite was responsible for all of this, people rejected what I was saying and decided to believe "this match was not about The Elite". It was about the history of WWE, the company that is found to have various allegations and charges against them. Some of those charges relate to BRUCE PRICHARD, the guy who takes the spotlight in the Main Event because in the heat of Cody's celebration, and in the moment where he could thank his peers, his mother, or maybe his father (due to the fact this story is built around Dusty) the first thing he does is thank the office, and thank Bruce Prichard.

So much for a babyface, huh?

Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura (GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X)

They're Astronauts because they're levels above everyone.

I watched Bloodsport because of this match. I watched a GCW show for god knows how long because of this match. And I had the privilege of showing my friends what were they missing. I can say that this match made Bloodsport one of my favorite shows last weekend and the fun part is that for their standard this is just a mere, mere piece of what they can do. Astronauts rule, and I hope more people realize what true brotherhood in wrestling looks like.

It's simple. If you're willing to do love in pro wrestling, your standard starts and ends with the Golden Lovers. If you're willing to do BROTHERHOOD in pro wrestling, your standard starts and ends with Astronauts, because by fighting and bleeding together, such a bond gets stronger by the minute. I don't need exaggerated acting for a bond of brothers, because brothers fight, brothers hate each other sometimes, but they always end up standing tall, and together.

For the most part, my friends were screaming with every kick and saying "But you told us they were partners!" and I maniacally laughed while watching Abe knee the fuck out of poor Nomura with such ease and grace, uncommon to a GCW event. Because of course, this match is even better considering they're doing this in a company that represents everything wrong with modern wrestling. They're so insanely good their body of work doesn't suffer from downgrades or the time given to fight and make sure the crowd does not forget who they are. I remember reading Abe's blog hours before this match, and he said this match was like bringing Bati-Bati to the US. I'm sorry, but for me, a girl who has seen enough Astronauts matches to realize what they were about the second they stepped into Bloodsport's mat, this was my Main Event.

And of course, this match deserves every bit of hype surrounding it because, as I said, this match is done in GCW. GCW is taking credit from this match but they don't do anything to deserve it. Watch it.

Masha Slamovich vs. Shayna Baszler (GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X)

This is the Shayna we've been missing.

Beyond the flashing lights of the World Wrestling Federation lies a dim soul who wishes to get in the ring and fight. Her opponent is none other than Masha Slamovich, a wrestler whose resume speaks for itself. A wrestler whose style is influenced by two things: Violence and technique. Masha is the perfect opponent for this dim soul I'm talking about, as she can awaken to her rival's instincts and can undoubtedly give her the fight she's looking to have since god knows when. Said dim soul knows the mastermind behind it all, and in what presumably is a new era in the company she works for (and has sadly given her the middle finger with inconsistent booking) Shayna Baszler comes to Bloodsport with one idea in her mind: Prove to people she will still kick ass whenever she has the chance, and Triple H be damned if this monster of a wrestler didn't do that here.

Shayna's booking is not a secret to the people that know what she's capable of doing. One of the biggest sins in modern WWE (and there's a lot) is not giving such a credible competitor a booking worthy of her capabilities as a performer. Shayna's run in NXT was fantastic because Hunter understood what she needed to do. Wrestle.

Shayna's whole character was bringing violence to the table and bone-breaking action at its finest. We were talking about a wrestler who was experienced in MMA and had traveled the world before signing with WWE. There was no way to fuck it up. And when you put Shayna in front of another wrestler whose bookers simply don't get her (Dakota Kai) the dynamic was told since Day 1. Everything that I said here was not taken into consideration when Shayna debuted in the Main Roster and became...whatever the hell she is now.

The good thing is that WWE's version of Shayna is not in this match, and it shouldn't by any means because this match MEANS something for both competitors. This match was more about the fight than it was about WWE and GCW working together. Bloodsport is known as the hardest-hitting event in wrestling. Therefore, the competitors are meant to hit hard and use every tool in their arsenal to survive and be victorious. The ring has no ropes. It's just the mat. The mat that has the blood of many engrained into it. The mat that has sweat, tears, and passion engrained into it.

Shayna's home is the mat, and by facing Slamovich in this fantastic and severely underrated bout she proves to be an insane competitor still. She steps into Masha's territory, and while Slamovich has her number for the most part of the match, Shayna is willing to do so and embraces the fact she's getting to WRESTLE. Shayna still has that grit and violence in her, and this match awakens a long-forgotten side of Shayna that fans have been accustomed to forget/ignore because it's better to have her being a vampire or whatever the fuck. An underrated piece of work from the sickos' Wrestlemania.

Dick Togo (c) vs. Kota Ibushi (DDT Judgement 2011)

Real graps, sister.

When pro wrestling finds itself at its best, there's nothing like it. The same can be said about DDT Pro Wrestling as a whole. Such a divisive company is not to everyone's taste, but when you can get something that all people can enjoy equally, you start to think there's something more than just greatness hidden in these matches you can occasionally find looking at the resume of such a prestigious belt as the KO-D Openweight Championship. Maybe there's something else than just good matches and a happy vibe. This match is one of those experiences that changes your perception of a wrestling company as a whole, and I'm sure it changed mine when I first watched this.

Re-watching this match felt like going back to being a little girl, not because this match awakened something inside of me, but because I remembered I was naive and foolish. I didn't know about this match and neither did I know about the quality DDT can achieve when put to test. Such as his match against HARASHIMA, Dick Togo excels in his performance, but I want to focus on the other wrestler standing on the other side of the ring.

Contrary to what people think, singles match Kota Ibushi is a mixed bag for me. I'm more into tag wrestler Ibushi because I think he's better at being the one with the hot tag. Some of his matches (especially in modern-day NJPW) have got me to sleep, literally. I couldn't finish watching any Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi 45-minute match because I couldn't believe a wrestler that can be as good as he is in tag competition just plainly sucks at doing something else. I found myself praising singles match Ibushi when he wrestles OUTSIDE of Shin Nihon's formulaic approach to such delicate craft, and of course, the matches that I like the most are the ones that he did in DDT.

I don't know, maybe KO-D Openweight Ibushi feels more like a really great wrestler than IWGP Heavyweight Ibushi because he's not forced to wrestle a long match. This match is incredible not only because Ibushi gets to do some of the best counters I have seen a wrestler do, but also because, unlike his match against HARASHIMA, Togo finds himself in a hurry while wrestling the Golden Star. Ibushi's drive and passion connect with the Korakuen faithful, and his fighting spirit shines through his own pain. People now call Ibushi a god but in this match, he's a mere mortal, but one that has enough heart and determination to keep standing against a wrestler that is putting everyone to notice in DDT, and I think he's better like that.

I'm a sucker for fiery babyfaces, and in this match, Ibushi goes out of his way to evoke such emotions in fans that REALLY want him to win, because he's just that good. Togo is a party pooper, but he's the best party pooper you could think of because not only does he have the experience to back up such a precious piece of his craft, but because he's considerably less handsome than baby boy Ibushi here. The hopes of the girls screaming for Ibushi's name become just shattered illusions when Togo shows them he does not have 15 years of career for nothing.

What I love about this match is that Togo does not feel superior. He upsets Ibushi but he doesn't dominate him at all because he's facing the second-best wrestler in the company. I like how Togo's game plan gets thrown into the trash when he realizes Ibushi is just not going to fall that easily. And Kota here is insane too, because he's willing to do anything to win the KO-D title. Togo knows this and counters Ibushi's counters who then become Ibushi's counters to Togo's offense...if you've seen the match you get what I'm saying.

Anyhow, this match rules and you should definitely watch it.

Blue Panther, Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero & Volador Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Matt Sydal (CMLL Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2024)

QUE VIVA LA SANTA LUCHA LIBRE.

A la hora de reseñar esta lucha tuve un gran problema: Tenia que escribir esto en Español si o si.

No veo mucho al Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre comparado a otras empresas, pero pasa algo fascinante con sus shows y es que puedes volver a arrancar desde cualquier punto de la historia y encontraras lucha libre de calidad. Esta lucha no fue la excepcion a la regla, porque esto realmente se sintio como algo historico.

Ultimamente se habla mucho de historia en la lucha libre, y cada vez se vuelve mas descarado el uso de frases como "la lucha que cambiara la historia", pero parte de mi desea creer que esta lucha si es el caso. "Homenaje a Dos Leyendas" fue un gran evento de pies a cabeza, pero este evento principal supero todas las expectativas que se tenian.

Un show de tal calidad llamo la atencion de muchas personas, y la presencia de estrellas tan grandes en Mexico le dio un valor importante. Los mismos de siempre saltaron a desprestigiar este combate, hablando de que mientras otros luchaban en Wrestlemania, tanto Moxley como Danielson iban a luchar a salones de bingo en Mexico, pero creo que en estos casos los hechos hablan por si solos.

No me gusta decir que alguien es ignorante en algo tan amplio como la lucha libre, pero tenes que elegir negar el impacto que tiene el CMLL en la historia del deporte, y tenes que estar en una marca diferente de Copium para decir que la Arena Mexico, una arena que muchos conocen como "La Catedral", es un salon de bingo.

Esta lucha muestra dos cosas: La primera es que la percepcion internacional de la lucha libre ya no se enfoca exclusivamente en Estados Unidos, porque el ambiente que se vivio en la Mexico fue algo que pocas si no ninguna empresa actual es capaz de replicar. Un momento historico como ningun otro, donde los mejores luchadores del mundo se juntaban en un solo lugar en un choque de titanes que no se puede lograr en la era moderna.

La segunda es que la idea del exito en la lucha libre ya no esta relacionada a WWE y a luchar en Wrestlemania. En palabras de un profeta conocido: "Gano el vertigo, el wrestling cambio! Es otra lucha libre, señor presidente!"

Con la globalizacion a flor de piel y un producto que sencillamente esta en una epoca dorada, poco hay que preocuparse por el rating y mas por la calidad de lo que estamos viendo. Este show en la Arena Mexico fue la prueba de que la lucha libre ya no es un juego de gringos, porque en realidad nunca lo fue. La lucha libre llega a todas partes del mundo, y de todos los paises imaginables.

Mexico, Japon, Reino Unido, y hasta otras empresas en Estados Unidos presentan nuevas oportunidades para luchadores jovenes, y en este caso, luchadores experimentados que buscan explorar nuevos aires y estan en el segundo pico de su carrera, como el caso de Moxley y Danielson.

Me podria sentar aca horas a escribir maravillas sobre luchadorazos como el señor Blue Panther, o el gran Volador Jr, y ni hablar de la leyenda viva que es Mistico (que fue victima de un maltrato en las empresas norteamericanas y que despues de años finalmente esta siendo recibido con el respeto que merece) pero prefiero que ustedes vean este combate por si mismos y se deleiten como yo, porque la santa lucha libre esta de regreso, y la historia se reescribio.

Ahora a esperar el Blue Panther vs Bryan Danielson.

Dick Togo (c) vs. HARASHIMA (DDT Into The Fight 2011)

Dick Togo es un luchador increible.

¿Saben? Escribir una reseña en Español de esta lucha se siente como estar en un parque de diversiones completamente sola y con acceso a todos los juegos sin limite alguno. ¿Por que usaria una analogia tan especifica? Porque esta lucha es fascinante y tengo todas las palabras y terminos adecuados para decirlo. El mayor pecado de New Japan Pro Wrestling es hacerle creer a la gente que Dick Togo es un mal luchador, porque no solamente es mejor luchador de lo que la gente cree, si no que es mejor luchador que la mayoria de personas que estan en los Main Events.

Esta lucha tiene momentos que hacen que mi cuerpo se sienta gracioso porque funciona tan bien y los roles son tan marcados que se siente completamente ameno. HARASHIMA es el gran Face en este combate, y como siempre, ser el heroe le sale demasiado bien cuando tiene que comerse la derrota mas amarga imaginable. Togo por supuesto hace un papel de Heel remarcable porque es con el que siento que el roster de DDT puede demostrar su valor real. O sea, sabemos que HARASHIMA es un gran luchador, pero es con alguien externo al mundo de una empresa tan peculiar que podemos observar y analizar el nivel que tiene comparado al resto del mundo.

Y por supuesto, HARASHIMA esta a un nivel superlativo en este combate y me atreveria a decir que hasta el dia de hoy. Esta lucha en si comprueba dos verdades: Dick Togo es un luchador excelente, y HARASHIMA se ha mantenido consistente durante 10 años. El selling en este combate esta fuera de este mundo, porque esta todo milimetricamente calculado para que tenga sentido.

No es una lucha perfecta, porque con sus imperfecciones tiene alma y vida propia. Una de mis mayores quejas de las luchas titulares es cuando no hay errores entre los competidores y es una lucha perfecta, blanda y aburrida sin una urgencia y una necesidad por ganar. Esa era una de mis quejas con el reinado de SANADA como campeon IWGP Peso Pesado, por ejemplo. Sus luchas eran perfectas, ordenadas y no presentaban una dicotomia de nada. Esta lucha es todo lo contrario porque la dicotomia se encuentra en el contraste no solo de estilos si no de mentalidades. Como dije anteriormente, HARASHIMA es el heroe de DDT, por ende esta luchando para recuperar el Campeonato KO-D no solo por el si no por la empresa que le toca representar.

Togo por el otro lado no tiene una conexion real con la promocion, es solo otro dia en el trabajo para el, y el hecho de que haya podido ser campeon KO-D suena hasta como un milagro viendolo en retrospectiva. Igualmente, su reinado como campeon es infravalorado por lo que expuse al comienzo: Una generacion de fanaticos no sabe la calidad que posee Togo y la exigencia que tiene para, y con sus oponentes en este tipo de contiendas.

Es con Togo como Campeon KO-D que DDT como empresa se fuerza a subir un poco mas el nivel de camino a uno de sus grandes años en el futuro. Esta lucha es una prueba no solo del nivel que poseia Togo en los 2010s, si no de la idea que DDT ha sido una de las mejores empresas del mundo por haber albergado este tipo de combates en un solo reinado. Una lucha increible que tenes que ver si o si.

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Great Muta (WAR Osaka Crush Night 1996)

The biggest lie of 21st-century wrestling is that spooky characters can't be awful and legitimately amazing at the same time.

The most important part of this match lies in the idea of such a non-sensical matchup being made in 1996. Under no premise you could imagine that a match involving Great Muta and Genichiro Tenryu could hit as hard as it does because there's a thing about pairing up great wrestlers: Sometimes it just doesn't work.

I remember chatting with a friend over this concept of "dream matches" and how pairing up great wrestlers in random matches doesn't always hit as hard because of the fact that wrestlers have different styles that have to harmonize with their opponent's to create what could be considered a "great match".

This match works as a litmus test, a "what if" type match that not only hits hard but works all too well. Because this is 1996 Muta we're talking about: The guy doesn't do shit and neither does he sell because he doesn't have to. How could that translate to 1996 Tenryu, who is known for being a bad, bad motherfucker?

If you don't see this match you imagine only one scenario: Tenryu becomes as savage as he can be and stands up to Muta. But against all odds, the opposite happens. And it works.

What's surprising about this match is that not only does it work well, but hits in every way imaginable. Here you have chickenshit heel Muta coming to Tenryu's turf and being an insufferable douchebag, while old and grumpy Tenryu has to stand a demonic brat (soon to be bald) wreaking havoc against his young boys and basically the integrity of his wrestling show.

The funniest part of this match is taking into consideration that Muta is fighting against the promoter, therefore he has the freedom to make his life a living hell because not only does he come as an outsider, but he's Great Muta, and even if he takes out a beer bottle and stabs Tenryu in the head several times (which is what happens, and that's so beast) he will still have the whole arena cheering for him because Japanese crowds in the 90s like their bad guys.

The crowd is insane in this one, but the same could be said for any match in 1990s Japanese wrestling. I like that even when seeing their promoter being all bloodied in the corner the fans would still cheer for Muta because he has some kind of "sauce" in this that many spooky gimmicks have tried to imitate but fail to do so.

With everything I said about this match, you would surely think this is the greatest match of all time, but it's not and that's okay because it doesn't have to. You have Muta stabbing Tenryu with a beer bottle and Tenryu giving sick powerbombs. What else do you need in a wrestling match?

United Empire vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (NJPW The New Beginning In Osaka 2024)

Akira, you don't need to scream all the time, we get it.

I’m going to be brutally honest about this match. I wanted this match to succeed SO badly. I wanted this match to make me understand why people seemingly love Will Ospreay so much and consider him the best wrestler in the world. I wanted this match to show me what I was missing all these years. But what I got in exchange for sitting on my chair and watching this with care and love is the worst best trainwreck I have seen in my entire life.

If you didn’t realize by now: I don’t like Will Ospreay. I used to like him when he was this fiery Junior wrestler because I learned to let things slide and excuse some of his blatant flaws because of the style he wrestled: And how many Junior wrestlers tend to be absolute trainwrecks in the good sense of the word for the sake of spectacle. The thing is that Ospreay is no longer a Junior wrestler, and because of that his style never seems to connect with me as other wrestlers would do. I think it has to do with the fact that after seeing a shit ton of Ospreay matches I kinda have learned everything he brings to the table, therefore, I sit and see the minuscule details that simply blow away his house of cards in every match.

This is not an exception.

If you love pro wrestling as I do, you’re willing to sit through 2 HOURS to watch this match and embrace it with all its flaws and mistakes. I guess it’s kind of a curse that we wrestling fans have when we engage in whatever appears on our screens. I’m kinda responsible for this that I’m writing, because I sat and watched the whole thing. And the thing is that this match simply fails to sell me its premise. Not only because of the awful cage (seriously) but because of other obvious details that simply can’t be ignored. Or do you want me to believe that Gedo can’t just throw the table over the cage considering how small it actually is? Do you want me to sit here and pretend Ospreay and Newman doing a double Oscutter after an hour of the most dangerous shit you could ever imagine is actually good?

The worst type of wrestlers are the ones that seemingly don’t understand what is the story they’re telling because you don’t want to insult them or hate them. You just feel bad for them because you know as a consumer what they’re trying to evoke, but they fail and they continue failing every time they step in the ring. Ospreay to me is one of those wrestlers. I respect the guy, I respect the effort he puts into every single match and I acknowledge the inhuman skill needed to pull off some of the things he does, BUT, with these matches, I don’t see a glimpse of evolution from the guy that practically ruined classic matches because of the things he pulls in this one. Or do you want me to pretend Ospreay vs. Oku 2 is actually good without taking into consideration its incelcore at its best?

On the surface, this match is a carnage that sees wrestlers like Gabe Kidd and TJP shine under their own merit (I can’t believe I’m writing this) But at its core, this match fails to sell you the premise it presents, and it’s really sad because you see all the guys in this match were willing to do absolutely everything for it to work, but it simply doesn’t. For fuck’s sake, the protagonists of this match, Ospreay and Finlay, simply can’t keep up with the action and can’t establish themselves as the guys you need to care for. And like, this is not any match for Ospreay. It’s his last match with the company, and for the most part of this affair the one that hypes up the crowd more than any other wrestler is Francesco Akira, who, through fiery comebacks over and over again seems to win the heart of Osaka.

This is a bad match, but you can’t say it like that because you feel like shit considering the pain all these 10 guys went through. I don’t know if you can call it constructive criticism or what, but the more that I write about this match the more that I yearn for another chance in the future for these 10 guys to show what they can truly bring to the table when some of their most blatant flaws are corrected. Because even the good things about this match, for some reason, become awful through the course of it. You know how I said Akira’s comebacks were fiery and all? I would have loved him to do just ONE comeback, but he comes back all the time and it loses its charm completely when you see every member of the BC War Dogs just cooking this pure guy like his name is Shunma. And don’t get me wrong, Akira grabbing the fork was a cool moment and it got the crowd hyped for the last minutes of this match: But then, the last minutes of this match were dreadful.

Overall, this match can be fantastic, but it’s not. If you want to see a match that highlights Ospreay’s flaws not only as a wrestler but as a storyteller, this is the one. And I’m not going to talk about Finlay because Kidd eats him alive as the unsung Bullet Club leader.

MAO (c) vs. Takeshi Masada (DDT Judgement 2024 ~ 27th Anniversary 5 Hour Special)

Fuck them kids.

In a wrestling landscape where people seemingly think great matches should be 30-minute "epic” bouts in the Main Event of a 5-hour show, outcomes MAO as Universal Champion beating the absolute shit of a disrespectful Takeshi Masada who’s learning to be an asshole thanks to Chris “I’m the stepdad that stepped up” Brookes. See, wrestling shouldn’t be that hard to understand, and these guys get it because you can’t do something to surpass the match coming (Takeshita vs. Aoyagi) and the match that just happened (Shunma vs. Okatani). You need to stand out, and boy oh boy do they.

I think DDT handles the idea of rookie wrestlers better than most companies in the world because even if Masada is fantastic, he’s nowhere near the level of MAO or any other wrestler who competes for the Universal Championship. Therefore, the best idea is to book a 4-minute match where Masada dares to be a rebellious figure against the champ by starting the match with an apron dropkick and getting his shit rocked because a good move is not enough to beat a champion.

I love how Masada directly loses this match the second he kicks MAO so hard that he gets knocked out for a brief second. Because even if he stands, defying as always, MAO gets up and slaps him to the death, kicking his face over and over and forcing him to watch his own demise.

We also have the fact that MAO is slowly becoming more buff and dangerous. His style is focusing more on kicks and strikes than dives, and this is great because Masada frequently outshines guys who can’t do kicks as him. This is MAO not only playing Masada’s game but showing him he’s far, far from great. It’s also a great way to give Masada future plans because whenever he and MAO get in the ring again shit’s going to get good.

It already is.

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Will Ospreay (AEW Dynamite #234)

Of course, Will Ospreay is the best wrestler in the world. When he's carried by a better wrestler.

See, the thing about Will Ospreay is that he can be actually watchable whenever his dance partner decides to put a full stop to all the Super Indy-isms hidden in his body. Katsuyori Shibata is what Orange Cassidy was to Ospreay back in 2022: Because he is a wrestler who showed us from time to time less is more, contrary to Ospreay who thinks doing an exaggerated finishing stretch will get him more stars from Davey Boy (not that one)

What you see is not what you get surprisingly, because Shibata makes an inhuman effort to get Ospreay on the mat and make him EARN his comeback. Because every time Ospreay elbows Shibata, he just rocks his shit and forces him to rethink his game plan. And even if Ospreay pulls an Ospreay in a match that does not need something flashy to catch your eye, Shibata makes sure the match stays on the right track.

I don’t buy into Ospreay’s hype in recent years because I know that if the guy facing him was someone who allowed him to pull his Super Indy shtick this match would lose its balance and therefore, its logic. Yeah, I know I’m asking for logic in the wacky art of pro wrestling, but I could do without the Oscutter 20 minutes into a match that supposedly has Ospreay playing a game he’s awful at.

As I said in the review for NJPW’s War Games (which you can read here) Ospreay is a wrestler that I have seen countless times, therefore, I sit and see the minuscule details that simply blow away his house of cards. Luckily, this is Shibata’s house of cards we’re talking about.

This match is good because of that.